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Please go to updated
essay at: http://www.drsenator.com/ImposingCapitalismOnIraq.html
Baghdad Year
Zero
Pillaging Iraq in pursuit of a neocon utopia
Posted September 24, 2004
Originally from Harper's Magazine,
September 2004.
By Naomi Klein.
http://www.harpers.org/BaghdadYearZero.html
To summarize the article, Bush, Bremmer, Rumsfeld, et.al. have
tried to turn Iraq into a Capitalistic paradise by establishing laws which
would open up Iraq for sale of its publically held companies (e.g. cement,
vegetable oil, textiles, etc.).
The corporate world would take over the job of rebuilding Iraq as
they pursue the newly opened opportunity to make a profit, buy up these
various outlets of production, and then market their wares to the new more
prosperous working class.
But, the problem was that the people who were to be (or were)
displaced by this new corporate state were enrolled by the insurgency and
thus arose a distributed armed resistance to the corporatization of
Iraq. This was not
anticipated by the Administration, and the forces of capitalism could not
be harnessed in producing the desired self-regenerating
infrastructure. And, even in
the face of the retreat of the private sector from Iraq, the
Administration continues to pursue this method of restructuring the
economy and government of Iraq.
Commentary on the Soul of Capitalism in Iraq and the
United States
By Thomas Lee Abshier,
ND
3/2/2005
The article presented a plausible unflattering account of the
attempt by the Administration to rebuild Iraq by harnessing the power
of the Free Market to establish an infrastructure and appropriate
resources in the most efficient manner. The Bush Administration and
Republicans in general are committed to less government
intervention. Capitalism tames the human passions of greed, pride,
and fear by enrolling them for the benefit of self and service
of others. But, Capitalism has no heart; it is the marketplace
equivalent of "Survival of the Fitest" and "The Law of the Jungle."
It will produce a strong machine of production in a far more
efficient manner than a command economy like socialism, fascism, or
communism. But, to function well it must have a stable
environment with property laws, enforceable contracts, and a known and
minimal level of risk from social unrest. Obviously Iraq after the
war was unable to fulfill the criteria of providing the
necessary stable environment for investment, risk, and law.
Thus, the dream of establishing a economic utopia in Iraq was
premature. The article presents a condemning perspective of the
motives for going to war, the greed that drove the investors, and the
foolishness of those who continue to follow that policy. The
purpose of the Harpers article was not to critique capitalism so as to
make it more humane, but rather to highlight the fact that lots of Big
Business was involved in the reconstruction, which could be framed as the
"purpose of the war", and as a "political-business insider payoff."
In a partisan world, a primary tool of battle for the hearts of a
constituency is to present the opposing party as morally
inferior. The Republicans paint the Democrats as morally depraved in
their stand on social issues such as Abortion, Euthanasia, Cloning, and
Separation of Church and State. The Democrats attempt to paint
the Republican party as a pawn of the Industrialists and facilitators
of the bottom line of those Big Business interests who seek favorable
legislation through the mechanism of party
politics.
This is no doubt that lobbyists for industry have influenced
government, and probably have exerted inordinate influence. The very
nature of the campaign and election process make influence by various
groups unavoidable. To imagine otherwise is
unreasonable. But, to categorize this factor as the only, or
the primary, motive for war and economic policy sounds
simplistic. A more satisfying and complex perspective is
the simple realization that the Republican Administration has a bias
toward attempting to solve the market problem in Iraq by using
the Free Market theory and philosophy. The approach
an Administration takes toward economic theory is morally neutral in
itself, but the economic structure of a country does have
a great effect on the group psychology.
We cannot say for sure whether or not the war, and reconstruction,
was done for economic purposes. There are strong accusers and
defenders for both positions. It is clear that
the Administration initiated, facilitated, and cooperated with
executing these economic adventures. Clearly the
intervention was unsuccessful; and it did not work because
capitalism cannot function well in a high risk environment. We
didn't count on the Iraqi Army turning into guerilla
insurgents.
I will not focus on the wisdom of intervention and the (so
far) failed attempt to initiate a strong investor-based rebuilding of
Iraq. Instead I will focus on an examination of the
heartless and impersonal aspects of Capitalism. We all know
that in the American implementation of the free market provides
very little job security and that perversions of Adam Smith's
"invisible hand" by monopolistic walls and legal requirements
distort the market. The perfected market depends on a free flow
of information, people, energy, and resources on every level
from individual to global. Movement of resources should be
fluid and dependent upon the needs of the individuals and
groups. And, while capitalism can be a brutal taskmaster that
creates an impersonal world of slavery to money and production, it can
also be the vehicle by which political and social freedom manifest
the true spirit of service and mutually assured survival. The key to
walking on the bright side of this polarity is a commitment by the
individuals, groups, and government of each nation-state to operate under
a Godly rule-set. And, this will happen most perfectly, most
expeditiously when we simply overtly acknowledge we are trying to
establishing a Christian nation.
The article presented what sounds like a realistic
examination and recount of recent Iraqi history. But I suspect,
given the Left-leaning bias of Harpers, that the accomplishments of the
Coalition were underplayed to emphasise the incompetence and corruption of
the Republicans and Bush Administration. In fact, I think that was
the point of the article to submit the efforts and intents of
the Conservative philosophy and its proponents to shame. But that
aside, I believe the article illuminates some of the
unpleasant realities of the economic-governmental philosophy
that dominates our lives in the 21st century capitalistic/free-market
West.
The article gave an inside view of the methods and
strategies used by capitalism to create prosperity and overcome the
problem of survival and pain.
But, the failures illustrated poignently the fact
that capitalism has no intelligent head driving its
actions, and its heart is driven by the passions of greed,
pleasure, and power. And
while the article was about the horrors of trying to impose a system of
engineered and imposed capitalism on Iraq, it is actually an indictment on
the entire capitalistic system of creating wealth, and
illuminates one aspect of the moral weakness that underlies the
United States economy.
Market forces attempt to instill us with a desire to satisfy base
urges by consuming addictive substances (trans fatty acids, caffiene,
sweets, narcotics, drugs, steroids, and junk-food entertainment powered by
sex drugs and rock and roll).
This flesh worship is the enemy that we must all oppose. Capitalism has been worshiped as
one of the co-gods in our society. And while an excellent principle
and system of distributing the tools of production to meet unseen needs,
if unregulated by Godliness it destroys the lives of those ruled by their
passions.
The opportunity for profit by satisfying addictive drives fuels
the Western world’s economies.
The only boundaries to establishing a new market for
exploitation and profits are the moral lines we have established
as a society between the prohibited and acceptable. When we sufficiently degrade out
social mores, we will establish profit centers for soylent green, THC, and
cloned-parts. Capitalism is
not a moral system, rather it is a method of allocating resources.
I am saddened that Christianity has been peripherally associated
with a capitalistic expansion of markets and profits at the expense of
quality of life and environment.
My opposition to the Harpers’ article and the Left is not with
their criticism of Capitalistic greed and the resultant carnage of
mankind’s health and welfare wrecked by this impersonal juggernaut
attempting to increase quarterly profits. Rather, my concern is that the
Left has been likewise seduced by another religion of Faith, an anti-God,
Marxist belief in a humanist state.
The Harper’s article was essentially an indictment of the
religion/faith of the Capitalist and the power of greed to produce a
utopia of commerce and the material successes. But, the directed government and economy
have strong failings that result in dissapointment of many needs
and desires of its subjects.
The Left has embraced a kinder gentler socialistic dream, a
supportive and nurturing world where no need is unmet by the group-support
system. Such a world is ideal, but
the limited nature of resources and the unlimited nature of
needs will prove that those producing wealth can never fully
satisfy the ever-expanding desires of the dependent classes.
Thus, some method of limiting benefits must be
instituted. Compassionate capitalism, which is simply the
market ruled by Godly legislation and populatd by people who
care, can provide a proper level of care for the
unfortunate. Private donations, individual volunteerism, and a
respect for the needs and contribution of each person will take care of
the medicare, welfare, unemployment, and disability issue. An
underlying spirit of caring and human intervention is the key to a
successful system of Compassionate Capitalism. In other
words, if people care, and the government has not taken exhorbitantly of
their resources, then the local group structures provide for the poor and
unfortunate. This practice is the heart of the Judeo-Christian moral
fabric.
Rather, I criticize the
Left for attributing the failures of humanity (greed, power, intolerance,
suppression…) to the Christian moral system. There is only one truth, and the
current political Right is attempting to manifest it through the
medium of capitalism and free market forces. Thus, Christianity
and capitalism can function well together, but capitalism must
be tamed. This moderation of the raw greed and power of
Capitalism will happen when a Christian populace governs the
marketplace with righteous law. The system becomes perverted
when the Left biases the system to a socialistic implementation of
economy with votes influenced by giving welfare, medicaid,
and social security to everyone at the expense of those few who are left
healthy and working. The
socialist, nanny-state Left is a caricature of the Christlike ideal of
caring for your brother out of a spirit of mutual care and
relationship. Attempting to impose a market economy on a
government-based Iraqi economy without proper transition proved disastrous
because the hearts of the people had not embraced freedom. Change takes time, and people must
have a hunger for creating their own personal transformation
internally. But,
without confronting a standard of truth, there may be change, but
there will be no transformation.
Capitalism has become so refined in the West that we no longer see
the naked forces of greed and addictive seduction by products and services
that tickle the senses. We
have clothed this shameful pandering of the the market to our base desires
as a noble expression of our opportunities and freedom. In fact, such an implimentation of
Capitalism is simply succumbing to and promoting flesh slavery. This is the exact opposite of the
Freedom promised in following Christ.
The Republican Party supports moral issues, but it
appears from the Harpers article as though they have an excessive
faith in the ability of the free market to produce the best possible
outcome, even in an extremely unfriendly environment. A lesson from
nature would do well here; a barren landscape will go through a number of
phases of plant and animal life before it can support the diversity and
lushness of the mature forest.. To
imagine that a high level system like capitalism could spring overnight
from the barrent wastelands of the Islamic deserts is unrealistic. A
graded introduction of this market system is appropriate. A
belief in the market is understandably seductive; it motivates people to
work and consume as they please. But, without an internal or
external regulation of their inner drives they will work and
consume even to their own detriment and potentially their
destruction. The short term seduction of pleasure, and the
long feedback cycle required to identify pain and degradation may
obscure deadly habits.
The major problem with the capitalistic catering to the wants and
needs of the people, is that the people will ask for bread and
circuses, porn shops and twinkies.
If the social standards permit the satisfaction of a need, that
need will be met. Given the
ever-new and naïve youth that spring from the fertile wombs of mankind, we
will probably continue to need a societal codification of rules to direct
the uninitiated in the Godly standards of public and private
relationships. Ideally a
righteous, truthful, and complete education in the ways of civil society
would be adequate to bring the next generation into full
righteousness. But, given the
failings of the parental and public/private education, we will
continue to need a combination of individual responsibility and
corporate legislation to maintain proper order in the affairs of
economy and deportment.
Promoting and adopting a common Christian worldview is
the only solution I see as able to solve the problems
of Iraq's market and societal unrest. In the West we have gone to sleep
to the failings of Capitalism because the economy and culture in
America are working well for most of the population. But, for the dropouts and
handicapped, the misfits of the Capitalistic system have little voice, and
their testimony of complaints is not credible. Thus, rather than seeing
the welfare mother as a symptom of a larger moral failure, we try to
establish safety nets of assistance with food, housing, and daycare. We have established well-meaning
social programs but do not deal effectively with the underlying problem –
the failure to embed the righteousness of God inside each
individual.
The Harper's article presents an excellent indictment of a
capitalistic system poorly implemented. But, I fear that without
proper qualification, that the criticism of the capitalistic method can be
used as an apology for establishing a state-run business
environment. I believe a more centrist approach (endorsing
righteousness) should be emphasised as the final solution. I have no problem with accepting a
transitional quasi-socialist market system; it is certainly familiar to
the current population of workers and government. By continuing
with a somewhat commanded economya and government, while making
gradual changes to release the markets to greater freedom over the
years, the economy can
deliver uniterrupted productivity. Such a graded approach is
certainly a better solution to transitioning to free markets and peace
than the current attempts at uniformly imposing law-required
divestiture.
Capitalism thrives on pandering to desire, and the Iraq experiment
has illuminated a disease that permeates all capitalistic systems. In America we have
removed overt debate about the application of Godly standards
to public issues of economy and government. Thus we
have allowed a system of economics which preys on desire to go
unchecked by a higher moral code.
We have depended upon man’s laws to prevent us from hurting each
other, from using mental/emotional intoxicants, and from engaging in
self-depreciating moral behavior.
And to the extent those laws are Godly and enforced, they are good
and produce benefical social outcomes. But the necessary granularity and
specificity of judgment required to create a truly good and righteous
society cannot be created by a top-down governmental system. The responsibility for right
thought, speech, and action must be distributed and owned by the
individual, whether in group activities, economic endeavors or personal
relationships. And to the
extent that our individual standard of judgment and compliance reflects
Godly perfection, the manifested results will mirror the joy and peace
found in the Kingdom of Heaven.
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